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Call for Papers

Thomas B. Cole, MD, MPH; Annette Flanagin, RN, MA

JAMA. 2007;298(23):2792-2793.

JAMA will publish its annual theme issue on violence and human rights in August 2008. As in previous years, we encourage authors to submit manuscripts reporting the results of original research on the causes, consequences, and prevention of violence and human rights abuses. All topics related to violence and human rights are of interest, but this year we specifically invite manuscripts on the health effects of armed conflict.

Between 2002 and 2005, sub-Saharan Africa was the only region with a decline in armed conflicts, while the number of armed conflicts increased in the other 4 regions of the world.¹ Today, more than 50 armed conflicts are occurring around the world.¹ Perhaps the most prominent is the war in Iraq, estimated to account for nearly 20% of all battle-related deaths worldwide in 2005.¹ According to the US Department of Defense,² as of November 9, 2007, deaths of US military personnel totaled more than 3800 in and around Iraq and nearly 400 in and around Afghanistan. In addition, more than 30 000 US military personnel have been wounded in these conflicts, many of them so severely that they would not have survived previous wars. These figures do not account for other coalition forces and civilians killed and injured since the onset of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the number of reported civilians killed during the Iraq war ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands and has been the subject of much controversy.^3-5 These figures also do not include the deaths and injuries associated with the more than 50 other armed conflicts occurring around the world. Moreover, although reliable data on civilian deaths and injuries are difficult to obtain, the number of violent armed campaigns that intentionally target civilians is reported to be increasing.¹

Thus, for the 2008 theme issue on violence and human rights, we invite manuscripts investigating the sequelae of physical and mental injuries to combatants^6-10 and their families¹¹ as well as to unwilling combatants¹² and civilians¹³ in war zones.

It is estimated that for every battle death there are as many as 10 deaths from disease, malnutrition, and interpersonal violence that might not have occurred in the absence of an armed conflict.^{1, 14} Wars have adverse consequences for nutrition, disease prevention, sanitation, education, and economic growth.¹⁵ Of the 52 countries that are failing to reduce child mortality, 30 have experienced conflict since 1990. Unlike the major battles of the 20th century, current wars are largely fought in poor countries with small arms and often target civilian populations.^{12, 14, 16} Fewer combatants are killed, but human rights abuses and destruction of existing health care systems and infrastructure are common. To address the major war-related public health problems, we also invite manuscripts that address the prevention or treatment of health consequences of war and armed conflict for civilian populations, health care systems, infrastructure, and health care workers.

Civilians often do their best to escape war zones, avoid potential abuse, and seek better economic opportunities in safer areas inside or outside of their home countries. Worldwide, there are an estimated 32 million refugees, displaced persons, and asylum seekers.¹ These refugees and displaced persons may have limited access to nutrition and health care and are at greater risk for exposure to violence, death, disability, and mental health problems that may persist for decades.^17-19 In some refugee and displaced populations, fear and loss of control over life appear to be associated with mental illness,²⁰ and in others, with a destabilizing sense of injustice.¹⁶ We invite manuscripts that assess health risks for refugees and displaced persons and measures to remedy them, as well as manuscripts that discuss opportunities for peace as the primary prevention of war-related adverse health outcomes among those forced to flee their homes and countries.

For this theme issue, we are particularly interested in randomized controlled trials²¹ and other studies of interventions to address the causes and consequences of violence and human rights abuses, but we will also consider observational studies, systematic reviews, and commentaries. Manuscripts received by March 1, 2008, will have the best chance of consideration for publication in this theme issue. All manuscripts will undergo JAMA's usual rigorous editorial evaluation and review. Please follow JAMA's Instructions for Authors for manuscript preparation and submission.²²

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Financial Disclosures: None reported.

Editorials represent the opinions of the authors and JAMA and not those of the American Medical Association.

Author Affiliations: Dr Cole (tbcole{at}bellsouth.net) is Contributing Editor and Ms Flanagin (annette.flanagin{at}jama-archives.org) is Managing Deputy Editor, JAMA.

REFERENCES
1. Human Security Report Project. Human Security Brief 2006. Human Security Centre, Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia (now housed at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver), Canada. http://www.hsrgroup.org/images/stories/HSBrief2006/contents/finalversion.pdf. Accessed November 12, 2007. 2. Department of Defense Casualty Reports. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf. Accessed November 12, 2007.3. Dardagan H, Sloboda J, Dougherty J. Reality checks: some responses to the latest Lancet estimates. October 16, 2006. http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/reality-checks and http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/state-of-knowledge/. Accessed November 16, 2007.4. Burnham G, Lafta R, Doocy S, Roberts L. Mortality after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: a cross-sectional cluster sample survey. Lancet. 2006;368(9545):1421-1428. FULL TEXT | ISI | PUBMED 5. Brown D. Study claims Iraq's "excess" death toll has reached 655,000. Washington Post. October 11, 2006:A12. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001442.html. Accessed November 16, 2007.6. Milliken CS, Auchterlonie JL, Hoge CW. Longitudinal assessment of mental health problems among active and reserve component soldiers returning from the Iraq War. JAMA. 2007;298(18):2141-2148. FREE FULL TEXT 7. Vasterling JJ, Proctor SP, Amoroso P, Kane R, Heeren T, White RF. Neuropsychological outcomes of Army personnel following deployment to the Iraq war. JAMA. 2006;296(5):519-529. FREE FULL TEXT 8. Hotopf M, Wessely S. Neuropsychological changes following military service in Iraq: case proven, but what is the significance? JAMA. 2006;296(5):574-575. FREE FULL TEXT 9. Okie S. Traumatic brain injury in the war zone. N Engl J Med. 2005;352(20):2043-2047. FREE FULL TEXT 10. Hoge CW, Auchterlonie JL, Milliken CS. Mental health problems, use of mental health services, and attrition from military service after returning from deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. JAMA. 2006;295(9):1023-1032. FREE FULL TEXT 11. Gibbs DA, Martin SL, Kupper LL, Johnson RE. Child maltreatment in enlisted soldiers' families during combat-related deployments. JAMA. 2007;298(5):528-535. FREE FULL TEXT 12. Bayer CP, Klasen F, Adam H. Association of trauma and PTSD symptoms with openness to reconciliation and feelings of revenge among former Ugandan and Congolese child soldiers. JAMA. 2007;298(5):555-559. FREE FULL TEXT 13. Hashemian F, Khoshnood K, Desai MM, Falahati F, Kasl S, Southwick S. Anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress in Iranian survivors of chemical warfare. JAMA. 2006;296(5):560-566. FREE FULL TEXT 14. Human Security Report Project. Human Security Report 2005. Human Security Centre, Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia (now housed at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver), Canada. http://www.humansecurityreport.info/HSR2005_html/overview/index.htm. Accessed November 27, 2007.15. United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report 2005: International Cooperation at a Crossroads: Aid, Trade and Security in an Unequal World. 2005. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2005. Accessed November 12, 2007.16. Vinck P, Pham PN, Stover E, Weinstein HM. Exposure to war crimes and implications for peace building in Northern Uganda. JAMA. 2007;298(5):543-554. FREE FULL TEXT 17. Grandesso F, Sanderson F, Kruijt J, Koene T, Brown V. Mortality and malnutrition among populations living in South Darfur, Sudan: results of 3 surveys. JAMA. 2005;293(12):1490-1494. FREE FULL TEXT 18. Porter M, Haslam N. Predisplacement and postdisplacement factors associated with mental health of refugees and internally displaced persons: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2005;294(5):602-612. FREE FULL TEXT 19. Marshall GN, Schell TL, Elliott MN, Berthold SM, Chun C-A. Mental health of Cambodian refugees 2 decades after resettlement in the United States. JAMA. 2005;294(5):571-579. FREE FULL TEXT 20. Baoglu M, Livanou M, Crnobaric C; et al. Psychiatric and cognitive effects of war in former Yugoslavia: association of lack of redress for trauma and posttraumatic stress reactions. JAMA. 2005;294(5):580-590. FREE FULL TEXT 21. Bolton P, Bass J, Betancourt T; et al. Interventions for depression symptoms among adolescent survivors of war and displacement in Northern Uganda: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007;298(5):519-527. FREE FULL TEXT 22. JAMA Instructions for Authors. http://jama.ama-assn.org/misc/ifora.dtl. Updated August 3, 2007. Accessed November 16, 2007.

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